Name: Uighur Autumn Pulao (Pulao)
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 3 large carrots; 1 large red bell pepper, stem, seeds, and membranes discarded, and cut into 8 chunks; ¼ cup rendered lamb fat (see Note); Scant ½ cup vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 large quince, cored and cut into 6 to 8 wedges, or 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered; 1½ pounds lamb back ribs; 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped; 1 large or 1½ medium onions, thickly sliced; 5 teaspoons salt; 3 cups medium- or short-grain rice

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Seductions of Rice

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Published 1998

About

The Uighars who live in the oases that rim the Takla Makan Desert in the far west of China are cultural cousins of the Uzbeks, who also speak a Turkic language. Uzbeks and Uighurs both have a strong pilaf tradition (in both languages, pilaf is known as pulao). Pulao is a one-pot dish, cooked in a special pot called a q’azan in both Uighur and Uzbek. In both, the flavor base is onions and carrots, and lamb is the meat most commonly used. The q’azan is a wide shallow meta